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The Power of Live Chat for Online Customer Service

In this modern age of quick, convenient, on-the-go communication, customer service is constantly adapting to new consumer needs. With the steady rise in smartphone use and growing sophistication of omnichannel business practices, live chat is proving to be a winning channel in the domain of customer service. Also known as webchat, live chat may be implemented as text, audio, or video and is a growing channel of preference among consumers of all ages. A study from Software Advice, the cloud-based help desk review site, found that 56% of respondents reported using live chat at least once for support, while 60% of the millennials surveyed named live chat as their channel of preference, stating a lack of hold times and convenience as the two primary reasons for its use.Live chat enables customers to have a seamless, personalized experience that saves them time and frustration. Addressing customers by name, using a friendly tone, and offering chat window pop-ups are all ways in which brands may use live chat to deliver proactive customer service without sacrificing the human touch that customers value. Video chat is especially effective for face-to-face communication that mirrors the in-person support experience, and technology is steadily evolving toward personalized and customized experiences that cater to customers’ specific purchase history and preferences. Furthermore, live chat is easy for customers to access from any device—a smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer, for example. However, it has proven especially appealing for customers on the go who need support in-store, as chat invitations sent to mobile customers in the middle of product research or purchases may be especially beneficial when they are pressed for time. Geolocation features of proactive live chat software solutions also let agents know the perfect time to offer chat to a customer who may be in-store, while the intelligence capabilities of such a solution can examine customer behavior and provide web analytics to help companies deliver prompt live chat invitations to the right customers at the right times. Customers are further given the option of choosing their preferred chat method with the choice of easily switching to another channel if desired, using easy click-to-call, click-to-chat, and click-to-video features.With live chat, companies are also poised to see increased sales and reduced costs. When customers are supported in-store in real time, agents can help transform browsing into sales conversions. As studies have shown that consumers often abandon websites after an average of only three clicks, the swiftness and timeliness of proactive live chat may lead to reduced bounce rates, improved click-through rates, and increased conversion rates. Contact centers further benefit from decreased average handling times as well as decreased handling costs due to live chat’s potential for managing multiple customers at once. It therefore enables greater agent efficiency while reducing the number of costly inbound calls and the need for additional agents.Live chat holds the key to delivering personal, proactive customer service while driving sales and reducing costs for companies. Learn about Vocalcom live chat software solutions for proactive customer service and increased sales.

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